# Malawi gay couple pardoned



## Ether's Bane (May 31, 2010)

...but for the wrong reason.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/05/29/malawi-gay-pardon.html


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## Tailsy (May 31, 2010)

Yay, homosexuality is still illegal!!


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## Ether's Bane (May 31, 2010)

Jessie said:


> Yay, homosexuality is still illegal!!


Ever heard the phrase "it's a start"?


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## Tailsy (May 31, 2010)

But it's not a start. They only did it because the other countries might have been Upset :( :( :( and then they don't get aid money. 

And that's _terrible_.

Seriously? I don't think it's anything to shout about.


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## Tarvos (May 31, 2010)

This is Africa. That continent is a looong way away from accepting LGBT rights. I think they might have to solve some other, more prominent, crises there first.

Like famine, war, genocide, things like that.


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## departuresong (May 31, 2010)

Watershed said:


> This is Africa. That continent is a looong way away from accepting LGBT rights.


With a few exceptions, of course!

... Well, okay. _One_ exception.


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## Tarvos (May 31, 2010)

South Africa indeed has gay marriage, but trust me, they should still be eradicating HIV.


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## departuresong (May 31, 2010)

South Africa is fairly civilized as a whole though considering its neighbors.


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## Tarvos (May 31, 2010)

departuresong said:


> South Africa is fairly civilized as a whole though considering its neighbors.


In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed is king.


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## goldenquagsire (Jun 1, 2010)

well this is... not particularly great news. so they've got a pardon but the President is basically saying it's a one-off. and if they stay in the country they'll probably get killed anyway.


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## surskitty (Jun 1, 2010)

... Uh.  Guys?  They're not gay.  Tiwonge identifies as female.


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## goldenquagsire (Jun 2, 2010)

James said:


> ... Uh.  Guys?  They're not gay.  Tiwonge identifies as female.


I don't think the Malawian courts recognise this.


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## surskitty (Jun 2, 2010)

I don't think most of the news sources covering this recognize this, either.


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## goldenquagsire (Jun 2, 2010)

James said:


> I don't think most of the news sources covering this recognize this, either.


If you ask me, it's kind of missing the point. The fact is that there is a law in Malawi which calls for the imprisonment of homosexuals. That *anyone* could be imprisoned under this law is dumb, even if they aren't actually homosexuals.


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## surskitty (Jun 2, 2010)

Yeah, but it's still inaccurate to call them gay.


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## 1. Luftballon (Jun 2, 2010)

under that whateveritwas distinction between gener and sex, wouldn't they be homosexual but not gay?


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Jun 3, 2010)

If one identifies as a man and the other a woman and they're in a relationship while fully acknowledging this, they're not gay or homosexual (same... thing?).


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## 1. Luftballon (Jun 3, 2010)

it'I meant the distinction of gender of sex where sex is biological and gender is perceived or whatever. these things are messed up.


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## goldenquagsire (Jun 3, 2010)

sreservoir said:


> it'I meant the distinction of gender of sex where sex is biological and gender is perceived or whatever. these things are messed up.


basically the main issue here is that Malawi, along with numerous other countries, outlaws relationships between consenting adults with the threat of imprisonment or even death. let's not forget that before we start getting into arguments over semantics, hm?


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## 1. Luftballon (Jun 4, 2010)

can we derail this into 'laws for cultural things are kinda pointless and harmful'?


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